1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0170429 discloses a connector with a housing that has cavities for receiving terminal fittings. Locks are formed in the cavities for locking the terminal fittings in the cavities. A front mask is mounted on the front surface of the housing to cover mold removal spaces that are left upon forming locks. The front mask protects the locks and enables mating terminal fittings to be inserted smoothly through the front mask.
This front mask is movable along the front surface of the housing, and is held on the housing upon reaching a mount position. Left and right projecting walls are formed on the front surface of the housing, and a groove is formed between the projecting walls. The front mask has a wide main body and a narrow fitting at the upper edge of the main body. Shoulders are formed at the upper end of the main body and at opposite sides of the fitting. The shoulders contact the projecting walls and the fitting is fit into the groove when the front mask is at the mount position. Latches are recessed in the opposite left and right edges of the main body, and engaging portions project at opposite left and right edges of the front surface of the housing. The engaging portions engage the latches while thinner walls at the opposite lateral edges of the main body deform resiliently to hold the front mask at the mount position.
The main body of the front mask is formed over the entire width of the front surface of the housing except at the thinner walls to cover the openings of all the cavities arranged side by side in the width direction. The thinner walls tend to be weak. Thus, the latches and the engaging portions might not be held engaged due to weakened restoring forces.
The latches would be stronger if the engaging portions were on the inner surfaces of the projecting walls facing the groove. Thus, the projecting walls could be thicker than the thinner walls. However, the projecting wall would be several times thicker than the thinner walls, and therefore the latches would be too strong. Hence, the engaging portions would be settled due to pressure from the projecting walls when the front mask is mounted repeatedly. As a result, this design also would be unable to keep a satisfactory engaged state.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to improve overall operation of a connector.